Seat celebrates 60 years of production

SPANISH car maker Seat has this week celebrated its 60th anniversary, releasing pictures dating back to its very first model, the 1400.

Six decades have now passed since the first 1400 rolled off the production line, when the brand new company was inundated with 10,000 orders following the end of petrol rationing in Spain.

With so much production demand Seat was able to drop the initial price of 121,875 to a more reasonable 117,000 pesetas, or what would have been about £590 at the time.

The 925-strong workforce was able to produce just five cars per day to begin with, and all of the first 1400s were fitted with a front-mounted, water-cooled engine with just 44bhp.

Production was less than 1,000 cars in 1954, but jumped to nearer 3,000 in the following year, 7,000 by the end of 1956 and then 10,000 annually in 1957, when staffing had increased to 5,000.

The 1400 was built until 1964, but was technically replaced in 1963 by the 1500, which also enjoyed a 10-year life cycle.

In 2013 the company has by now built 16 million vehicles and exports around 80% of its production to markets outside Spain, nonetheless leaving Seat’s home market as its most important.

Last year it delivered 321,000 new cars to buyers across the world, with 38,798 finding UK homes, and recorded a turnover in excess of 6 billion Euros.

By Press Association reporter